Monday, May 27, 2013

Latin Proverbs and Fables Round-Up: May 27

Here is a round-up of today's proverbs and fables - and for previous posts, check out the Bestiaria Latina Blog archives. If you have not downloaded a free PDF copy of Brevissima: 1001 Tiny Latin Poems, it's ready and waiting, as is Mille Fabulae et Una: 1001 Aesop's Fables in Latin. If you prefer the heft of a book in your hand, you can get the books in printed form from Lulu.com.

HODIE (Roman Calendar): ante diem sextum Kalendas Iunias.

MYTHS and LEGENDS: The art image for today's legend shows The Flight of Aeneas; you can also see the legends for the current week listed together here.


TODAY'S MOTTOES and PROVERBS:

TINY PROVERBS: Today's tiny proverb is: Hydram secas (English: You're slashing at the hydra - which doesn't do a lot of good, of course, since the hydra's heads grow back as soon as you can chop them off).

3-WORD MOTTOES: Today's 3-word verb-less motto is Pax, copia, sapientia (English: Peace, abundance, and wisdom).

ANIMAL PROVERBS: Today's animal proverb is Ut piscis extra aquam (English: Like a fish out of water).

POLYDORUS: Today's proverb from Polydorus is: Lupum auribus teneo (English: I've got the wolf by the ears - which means it is dangerous to hold on and also dangerous to let go).

PROPER NAME PROVERBS: Today's proper name proverb from Erasmus is Bellerophontes litteras adfert (English: He's carrying the letters of Bellerophon - which is a fatal thing to do, since Bellerophon's letter carried the orders for Bellerophon's own murder; from Adagia 2.6.82).

GREEK PROVERBS: Today's proverb is Ἄκρον λάβε, καὶ μέσον ἕξεις (English: Seize the top, and you will have the middle).

BREVISSIMA: The distich poster for today is Pauperis Sors. Click here for a full-sized view; the poem has a vocabulary list and an English translation, too.


And here are today's proverbial LOLcats.




TODAY'S FABLES:

FABULAE FACILES: The fable from the Fabulae Faciles widget is Mustela et Lima, the story of a blood-thirsty weasel (this fable has a vocabulary list).

MILLE FABULAE: The fable from the Mille Fabulae et Una widget is Mors et Cupido, a story of what happened when Death and Love changed places.

Cupido et Mors

Greek Bible Art - and Latin and English, too. Below is one of my Greek Bible Art graphics; for the individual Greek, Latin and English versions of the graphic, see the blog post: λάβετε φάγετε, τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ σῶμά μου. Accipite, et comedite: hoc est corpus meum. Take, eat; this is my body.